By Louise Goodman April 19, 2021
BEND, Ore. Medical technicians, therapists and other workers at St. Charles Medical Center overwhelmingly ratified their first union contract March 31. They had voted to join the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals in 2019 and had been fighting for a contract ever since. St. Charles is the only hospital here, and the largest employer in central Oregon.
The contract was approved by almost 95%, respiratory therapist Deidre Moore told the
Militant. While wage gains of up to 25% were won for some positions, she said the fight for a contract was about a lot more then money. “It’s about having a voice and being treated fairly.”
Emily Cureton
Originally published on April 1, 2021 2:34 pm
A fraught dispute over employment practices at the Bend hospital cooled this week, as St. Charles Health System agreed to a first-time union contract with about 150 health-care workers who launched a strike last month.
The walkout forced the hospital to hire temporary medical technicians, technologists and therapists for 11 days, as nurses and a surgeon spoke out publicly about negative effects on patient care. After union members ratified a contract Wednesday, their organizers celebrated “a new stage of labor peace and partnership with the hospital,” according to a statement from the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals.